In the past a number of different types of trusses have been devised, these being useful for supporting and placing in compression mine roof strata. This is accomplished through the tensioning of the roof truss provided in an appropriate manner. The present invention takes the approach of providing truss structure wherein the mine roof support plates interposed in the structure include a plate and, depending therefrom, plural horn portions, each having respective lower J-shaped lips and also a reaction surface for accommodating the stirrups utilized in the truss construction. The composite mine roof support plates, disposed generally intermediate the truss structure, will generally be case and have, for example, two, three or four depending horn portions with the respective J-shaped lips. The purpose of the lips is to provide cradles for the stirrups utilized, to be placed in tension in the truss, this for accommodating transport of each of the mine roof support plates and stirrups, the latter being suspended from the former by resting in such cradles formed by the J-shaped lips. The mine roof support plate includes an aperture for accommodating a roof bolt, this for securement to the mine strata in a conventional manner. Thereafter, the stirrups are elevated to essentially horizontal position to recieve the elongate bars of the truss to be placed in tension.
Certain prior patents are known, and one is the inventor's own patent entitled Mine Roof Support Truss and Components, Ser. No. 07-522,784 filed May 14, 1990 and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,217 on Jun. 25, 1991. The invention herein, thus, can be incorporated, by way of example, in any of the following patent disclosures of the inventor's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,666,344; 4,775,266; 4,776,729; 4,960,348. Other patents include U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,496 issued Jun. 24, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,310 issued Jun. 7, 1988 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,873 issued Jun. 19, 1990. Relative to the latter patent, certain types of tensioning structure are known to include a stirrup-like object, standing alone. The latter however is believed to be designed of insufficient strength to accommodate high-tension trusses; furthermore, there is no art known, including consideration of the above-patents which teach mine roof trusses incorporating intermediate support plates wherein the mine roof support plates themselves are provided with reaction horns accommodating stressing of stirrups, the horns likewise being provided with cradles for preventing inadvertent dislodgement of the stirrups with the horn portions of the support plates during transit or otherwise.